Hi! I'm Bryony (or B/Bee as the Dramabananas call me), the founder and principal of Dramabananas. 

I come from Southampton and have always loved drama, everything to do with making stories and performing.  I attended Theatre Schools from the age of 4, performing on stage at The Nuffield, The Point and The Mayflower theatres and live on television on Blue Peter.  I trained for 3 years in Applied Drama at the University of South Wales, where I also studied Creative Writing, winning 2 awards for my poetry and graduating with First Class honours.

I have always enjoyed working with young people and have worked with children, from birth to college age, since the age of 14.  I have taught at many stage schools, including for a National Stage School franchise, across South West England and in many schools in South Wales.  I ran a Summer School in South Wales in 2013 to great acclaim from the young people, their parents and the Mayor of the city.  I also performed in two major National Theatre Wales productions and performed my own poetry across the region, including at the Wales Millennium Centre, and with the likes of Gillian Clarke, Carol Ann Duffy and Danny Abse.  I also ran performance projects for young people and adults with learning disabilities and I have years of experience of - and specialist training in - working with young people with disabilities, learning disabilities and difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural problems, attachment disorders and other mental health problems.  It is the mission of Dramabananas that all young people should get the opportunity to experience creating and performing. 

I am continually developing my own practice, by attending training workshops in theatre and creative writing – recently including with National Youth Theatre directors – and all training available to me as a teacher.  I am also involved in theatre companies and a choir and take one-to-one singing tuition to enable me to provide the best possible lessons for all Dramabananas. 

Recently, I have sadly lost my husband, Alex, who was also the co-founder of Dramabananas.  Alex passed away after a very rapid cancer in October 2015.  It is for this reason that we had a long break between September 2015-January 2016, while I cared for Alex and was grieving immediately after his passing.  We are now getting back on our feet, with our Monday evening Infant and Junior groups.  There will be no summer school this summer, but we aim to be adding a new group for children aged 11+ in September (please do get in touch if you would like to be added to the waiting list).  I am now focussing on growing and expanding Dramabananas slowly and organically, in line with my own journey moving forward.

It has always been my dream to be able to teach and pass on my theatre skills.  I started Dramabananas so that I can offer quality theatre tuition at an affordable price, to young people in the area where I grew up.

Bryony Joy Kirkpatrick